SNAP Exam 2021: Check registration details, eligibility, exam pattern and more

Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) test is a national level exam conducted annually by Symbiosis International (Deemed) University [SIU]. It is a post-graduate level examination for admission to the various MBA and M.Sc. programmes offered by the Institutes of Symbiosis International. So candidates who want to enrol for these Masters courses have to take the common, compulsory SNAP exam. The registration for SNAP exam 2021 started on 31st August 2021. Candidates can visit the official website to register for SNAP 2021. 

SNAP 2021 will be a computer-based examination. Candidates who wish to appear for the SNAP 2021 exam need to register and enter the choice of courses in the 16 MBA institutes under The Symbios Society. There is an integrated registration procedure for SNAP, so candidates can complete both registrations through the same portal. Candidates who qualify in SNAP will be shortlisted for the next round of admission at the chosen institutes. 

Highlights of the SNAP 2021 Exam

Before we discuss the exam dates, eligibility criteria, registration process, and exam pattern, let us have a look at some of the highlights of the upcoming SNAP exam: 

● Key to the top B-schools in the country: The SNAP scores are widely accepted by all the 16 Symbiosis MBA Institutes, which include SIBM (Pune), SIIB (Pune), and SIBM (Bangalore), among others. 

● The similarity to CAT, CMAT, XAT, NMAT: The online computer-based SNAP test is quite similar in pattern to the CAT, CMAT, XAT, and NMAT exams. 

● Fetches a University MBA degree: All the participating Institutes that accept SNAP scores are part of SIU. They award University MBA degrees that are globally recognised. 

● Moderately difficult: Given the past trends, the SNAP 2021 exam is expected to be moderately difficult, with a total of 115 questions divided across four sections. 

● No separate cut off for each section: The total 150 marks will be scaled down to 50 without any sectional cut off. 

● Exam conducted in three sessions: SNAP 2021 will be held on three days; the first session on 19th December 2021, the next one on 8th January 2022 and the last session on 16th January 2022.

● Cost-effective and hassle-free application: The application fee for SNAP 2021 is INR 1950 – quite low considering the fact that the exam is a gateway to the best 16 B-schools. The entire application process is online with a few simple steps.

SNAP 2021 Important Exam Dates

Registration for the SNAP exam usually begins in the last week of August and goes on till the end of September. For the 2021 SNAP exam, registration has already started. Candidates can go to the official website and register themselves.

It is important to note here that SNAP test centres are allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis, so the sooner you pay the fee, the easier it will be for you to get the test centre of your choice. We have summarised all the important dates in the table below.

Registration starts for SNAP 2021	31 August 2021 (Tuesday)
Registration closes for SNAP 2021	27 November 2021 (Saturday)
SNAP 2021 Admit card available from	4 December 2021 (Saturday)
SNAP 2021 Exam Dates	19 December 2021 (Sunday) 2 - 3 PM 8 January 2022 (Saturday) 10 - 11 AM 16 January 2022 (Sunday) 10 - 11 AM
SNAP 2021 Result Date	February 1 2022

Eligibility Criteria For SNAP 2021

Candidates need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria to appear for the SNAP M.Sc./MBA entrance exam. 

1. The candidate should hold a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum aggregate mark of 50% or equivalent grade from a Government recognised or statutory University/Institution. Candidates belonging to the SC/ST category are given relaxation and need to have at least 45% marks or equivalent grade in their graduation.

2. Students who are in the final year of their graduation are also eligible to apply. However, their admission is subject to obtaining a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent grade (45% marks or equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to the SC/ST category). Such admission will be provisional and may stand cancelled if the candidate fails to fulfil the said criteria.

3. Certain programmes require a specific subject specialisation/discipline as given by the respective SNAP colleges/Institutes. Candidates can check their eligibility for such programmes on snaptest.org. 

4. Candidates who have completed the qualifying degree from a Foreign University are also eligible to apply. However, they have to obtain a certificate of equivalence from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The candidate needs to verify his/her foreign degree/qualification from AIU before pursuing admission to any programme offered by SIU. The following candidates will fall under the ‘International Student’ category: 

● Foreign Nationals: A student who holds a foreign passport and is a citizen of any country but India. 

● Overseas Citizen of India (OCI): A student who is granted Overseas Citizenship of India and holds an OCI card. 

● Person of Indian origin (PIO): A student who has a PIO card and is a citizen of any country but India. 

● Non-resident Indian: A student who is an Indian national and has appeared for his/her 12th or graduation examination outside India. 1. All Institutes under SIU follow a reservation policy as per the UGC regulations/guidelines. However, such guidelines are not applicable to the Symbiosis Institutes of Management Studies, which have a separate policy. The reservation of seats for various categories as applicable for the SNAP 2021 exam are given below: 

● Scheduled Caste: 15% 

● Scheduled Tribe: 7.5% 

● Differently Abled: 3% (the following types of disabilities are covered under this): 

● Hearing impairment 

● Vision impairment 

● Mental retardation 

● Locomotor Disabilities 

● Multiple disabilities 

● Dyslexia 

● Nagpur Domiciled: 25% (applies only for SIBM, Nagpur) 

● Wards/children of Defence personnel: 5% (applies only for the Institutes and their respective programmes listed below): 

● MBA in International Business (Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune) 

● MBA in Digital and Telecom Management (Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management, Pune) 

● MBA in Information Technology Business Management (Symbiosis centre of Information Technology, Pune) 

● MBA in Information Technology (Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research, Pune) 

● Kashmiri migrants: 2 seats in each programme (over and above intake) 

● International candidates: 15% (over and above intake) Candidates applying under any of the above mentioned reserved categories are obligated to submit the relevant documents issued by a competent authority. Final admission is subject to the verification of such documents. Provisional admission does not imply acceptance of eligibility. SIU has the final say in deciding the eligibility for admission. 

Registration Process for SNAP 2021 Exam

The registration process is completely online and must be completed by 27th November 2021. Candidates may follow the points below to successfully register for the SNAP exam 2021. Please note that changes to the online SNAP application form (except the name, date of birth, category, and test city preference) will be allowed only up to the registration closing date. No change will be permitted once the closing date is over.

1. Registration can be done online on the portal snaptest.org. 

2. Make sure that all the information you have entered is accurate.

Documents required for SNAP 2021 Exam

You need the following documents to register for the SNAP exam. 

• Scanned copy of your signature
• Scanned copy of your photograph
• Marksheets (from 10th to Bachelors) to enter information

The next step is the payment of the SNAP test application fee of INR 1950. Candidates may pay through the following modes of payment: 

● Billdesk Payment Gateway 

● Indian Bank Payment Gateway 

● Easebuzz Payment Gateway 

How to pay SNAP fees via Demand Draft (DD)

● Candidates may submit a Demand draft of INR 1950 from any Nationalised Bank in favour of the “Symbiosis Test Secretariat” payable at Pune. Directions for payment through Demand Draft: 

● In the ‘Make Payment’ tab, choose the method of payment as ‘DD Payment.’ 

● Take a printout of the payment advice form, fill in the details of DD, sign, and send it together with the DD to the address below. 

Symbiosis Test Secretariat Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Gram: Lavale, Tal: Mulshi, Dist: Pune – 412115

● Once the registration is complete, fill up the SNAP 2021 application form by entering the relevant details. Click on ‘Submit’ to complete the process.

Exam Pattern for SNAP 2021

Recently there have been quite a few changes in the SNAP exam pattern. These changes have been formulated over subsequent years and, in turn, have holistically changed the way a student must approach the exam. For instance, in the year 2017, the time-tested paper-based exam format was done away with to be replaced with the more easily conducted computer-based test. While this might seem like a small change, it drastically changes the way students should be giving mock tests and strategizing the way questions are to be answered.

In the following year, SNAP introduced into the exam pattern what has since then come to be known as special questions. There has also been a radical shift in the number of questions being asked along with the weightage in terms of marks being assigned. The last SNAP exam, held in 2019, still further tweaked the SNAP test pattern by further reducing the number of questions being asked. 

In 2020, another round of changes was initiated as 0nly 60 questions were asked and there were no special questions. It has been announced that the 2021 SNAP entrance exam will have 60 questions. However, the question types have not been specified, so candidates can expect a surprise there. Thus, the exam pattern for 2021 is given in this regard: 

Sections	Number of questions	Total marks
General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability	15	15
Analytical & Logical Reasoning	25	25
Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency	20	20
Total	60	60

Marking Scheme for SNAP exam 2021

The previously complex nature of the SNAP test has now been simplified and made straightforward. There will be 60 questions of 1 mark each and for every wrong answer, 25% or ¼ mark will be deducted. You can check the summary of the marking scheme followed in the SNAP exam below. 

Total Marks	60
For correct answer	+1
For incorrect answer	- 1/4

SNAP 2021 Admit Card

SNAP 2021 admit card will be available for download on the official website once the announcement of release has been made. Only successfully registered candidates will only be issued admit cards. Candidates can download the SNAP admit by following the steps listed below.

How to download the SNAP 2021 Admit Card

Step 1: Visit the official website for SNAP

Step 2: Click on the “Admit Card is live” option on the home page

Step 3: Enter SNAP ID and Password and click on ‘Login’

Step 4: The admit card will be available for download

Step 5: Save it as a PDF or take a print-out

SNAP 2021 Test Centres

SNAP 2021 will be conducted in 94 centres across India. However, test centres are allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis, so you need to pay the pay at the earliest to get the test centre of your choice. In the table below, you can find all the test centres for SNAP 2021. Register and pay the exam fee as soon as possible to take the exam at the centre nearest to you. 

Agra	Gangtok - Bardang	Mumbai
Ahmedabad	Guntur	Mysuru
Ajmer	Guwahati	Nagpur
Aligarh	Gwalior	Nashik
Ambala	Hisar	Navi Mumbai
Amravati	Hooghly	Palghar
Amritsar	Howrah	Panipat
Anand	Hubballi	Panjim - Mapusa
Asansol	Hyderabad	Patiala
Aurangabad	Indore	Patna
Bareilly	Jabalpur	Portblair
Belagavi	Jaipur	Prayagraj
Bengaluru	Jalandhar	Pune
Bhilai	Jammu	Raipur
Bhopal	Jamshedpur	Rajkot
Bhubaneswar	Jhansi	Ranchi
Bilaspur	Jodhpur	Roorkee
Chandigarh	Kakinada	Rourkela
Chennai	Kanpur	Shillong
Coimbatore	Karnal	Shimla
Cuttack	Kolhapur	Siliguri
Dehradun	Kolkata	Surat
Delhi	Kota	Thane-Kalyan-Dombivli
Gurugram	Kottayam	Thiruvananthapuram
Faridabad	Kozhikode	Thrissur
Ghaziabad	Kurnool	Udaipur
Greater Noida	Lucknow	Vadodara
Noida	Ludhiana	Varanasi
Dhanbad	Madurai	Vijayawada
Dibrugarh	Mangaluru	Visakhapatnam
Ernakulam - Kochi	Meerut
Gandhinagar	Moradabad

Shortlisting and Selection 

Candidates will be shortlisted for GE-PIWAT ( Group Exercise, Personal Interaction, and Writing Ability Test) on the basis of their overall SNAP test percentile. All information regarding dates and details of GE-PIWAT will be available on the websites of the respective participating Institutes. 

It is compulsory for shortlisted students to attend all the parts/tests of GE-PIWAT to be considered eligible for any of the postgraduate programmes. Only those candidates who attend all the parts/tests of the GE-PIWAT selection process shall be qualified to be considered for inclusion in the merit list or waitlist, as the case may be. Candidates who absent themselves from any one of the parts/tests of GE-PIWAT will be disqualified from being considered for the selection process of any of the postgraduate degree programmes.

SNAP Results 2021

The SNAP result 2021 will decide which candidates will make it to the final merit list. Aspirants who appear on the final merit list will be considered for admission to the programme of his/her choice. However, such admission shall be provisional and would be confirmed only on payment of fees and fulfilment of eligibility criteria of the respective programme(s) and in accordance with the rules of SIU.

The final merit list will be prepared by taking into consideration the scores obtained by the candidate in the SNAP test and GE-PIWAT. The different parameters carry the following weightage in deciding the position of a candidate in the final list of merit: 

● SNAP score: 50 marks (the total marks of 150 will be scaled down to 50) 

● Group Exercise (GE): 10 

● Personal Interaction (PE): 30 

● Writing Ability Test (WAT): 10 

● Total Marks: 100 

The category-wise SNAP cut off marks for the merit list, and the waitlist is displayed on the official websites of the respective participating institutes. The movement of the waitlist will depend upon the availability of vacant seats. 

SNAP Syllabus Breakdown 

A crucial part of any MBA exam happens to be the element of time management. In this regard, as you might already know, you are expected to solve 110 questions in a span of 120 minutes. While the expected SNAP cut off will give you an idea of how many questions you need to get right to qualify for symbiosis admission into SNAP colleges, it is important to play your cards right.

While attempting SNAP official mock tests, you will have noticed that there are some sections that suit you better than others. Here’s a breakdown of the three static sections as you may find in a SNAP sample paper: 

1. Analytical and logical reasoning: The section has emerged as a popular choice for students from across streams. In this section, there are 36 questions, each with a weightage of 1.5 marks. Now, that makes a total of 54 marks. Generally, SNAP exams have revealed this segment to contain moderate level questions, usually from areas like missing numbers, verbal reasoning, visual reasoning, etc. It is extremely easy to go through the chapters and gain mastery over the area.

2. General English: English as a section is extremely polarising. In this section, there are 34 questions carrying 51 marks. Usually, students are overwhelmed when they encounter this section because of the relative unfamiliarity of the content. There is no easy way to go prepare for this section. A large part of your success in this section depends upon your vocabulary.

Rigorous practice of verbal ability and comprehension is the only way to strengthen this area. You could read newspaper editorials and books to accrue new words. Keep in mind that this section needs time to master, and therefore you should start early and practice regularly.

3. Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency: This section has a grand total of 35 questions, including the special questions, and they carry total marks of 45. This section requires a lot of practice. Go through the SNAP previous year question papers and make a list of the areas from where most questions are asked. At the end of the day, your success in this segment depends upon your ability to solve these questions faster and with precision. 

Conclusion

The SNAP exam has, over the years, been regarded as one of the most prestigious examinations when it comes to MBA entrance exams. With over 1800+ seats divided over 16 different institutions, the SNAP exam is one of the best ways to secure admission into a B-school. Given the exam pattern and the relative effort needed to qualify, it is also one of the easiest exams to qualify. A set coherent strategy revolving around the basics should keep you in good stead while attempting the examination.

About Sunstone

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Sunstone’s training programs are industry endorsed to enhance employability. These programs are designed for hybrid delivery with unparalleled focus on soft skills and personality development. Sunstone’s focus is to provide students with holistic educational experience.

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